Music by Kamala Sankaram
Text by Kalpana Chawla
PERUSALSCORE
The First View for
SSA Trio
Music by Kamala Sankaram
Text by Kalpana Chawla
Program Note
This text is adapted from a 1998 India Today interview with astronaut Kalpana Chawla. The year before, she was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia, becoming the first Indian woman in space. In 2003, Kalpana Chawla died in the Columbia disaster.
The earth is so small.
The atmosphere looks like a ribbon with different colours hugging the earth. In such a small planet,with such a small ribbon of life, so much goes on.
The earth is not just a bluish hue.
You see all the colours.
When the Sahara comes into view, the ocean near it is an emerald green. The Sahara itself looks golden brown. Then you cross the Nile; it looks like a deep, dark green ribbon.
It is almost as if everything is in fast forward.
It is totally dark.Then dark to violet, to orange and red and then it's sunrise. At the sunset, there was a moon—its crescent was razor sharp and the colour was dusty silvery. Then the moon raced away from us and was lost in the glow of the earth. Almost like a story book that you read as a child.... pollution ?
I did see it.
We saw fires...
We saw smog layers...
We saw smokestacks.
So many people are arguing or fighting. It’s like being in the whirlpools which are always present behind a little rock near a river.We seem to be living in these little whirlpools and forget that there is a whole river.The picture is much bigger.We should take time to look at the big picture.
Performance Notes
Instrumentation
PERUSALSCORE
Soprano I
Soprano II
Alto
Duration: 9'
= close to the voiced consonant on the indicated pitch and rhythm = Gliss between microtones in indicated rhythm = Should be performed with a strong attack on the appoggiatura
First printing, March 2024
Copyright ©2019 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved.
Program Note Copyright ©2019 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com
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planet, - withsuchasmallribbon - oflife,somuchgoes on.On
planet, - withsuchasmallribbon - oflife,somuchgoes on.
The
NotanotnotaYou
seeallthecolours. - When
the
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hara - comesinto - viewtheocean - nearitisaneme - rald - green.
SaSaha - ra - thetheocean - itit mf isaneme - rald - green.
TheSahara - itself - looksgolden - brown.Then
you,thenyoucrossit
Saha -
den - brown.Then
you,thenyoucrossit
dark.Thendarktoviolet, - toorange - andred,thendarktoviolet - to
dark.Thendarktoviolet, - toorange - andred,thendarktoviolet - orange - andred,then dark.Thendarktoviolet, - toorange - andred,thendarktovio let, -
orange - andorange - andredandthenit's sun f rise. -
darktoviolet - orange - andred,orange - andredandthenit's sun f rise. -
orange - andredanddarktoviolet - andthenit's sun f rise. -
(oo)wasa(m)oo - (n). - Its mp crescent - wasrazor - sharp,
(oo)wasa(m)oo - (n). - Ititwas ititwas sunset, - therewasamoo(n).p Ititwas ititwas
Thenthemoonracedaway - fromusandwaslostintheglowoftheearth.
earth.Thenthemoonracedaway - fromusandwaslostintheglowofthe glowoftheearth.Thenthemoonracedaway - fromusandwaslostinthe lostintheglowoftheearth.
Al p - most like a stor y81 earth. glowoftheearth. Al p - most like a stor yglowoftheearth.glowoftheearth. Al p most - likeastory book that youreadasachild.The firstThefirst view.
book that youreadasachild.The first view. book thatyoureadasachild.The first Thefirstview.
The firstview.Pollu - -tion Ididseeit. We mf sawfiresWe
Thefirst view.Pollu - -tion Ididseeit. We mf saw firesWe
The firstview.Pollu - -tion Ididseeit. We mf sawfires saw fires firesWesawsmoglayers. - We f saw
saw fires fires Wesaw smoglayers. - We f saw,
We saw fires fires Wesawsmoglayers. - We f saw,
We saw smoke stacks - We saw fires,fires,
fires So ff many - people - areargu - -ing orfighting, - argu - ing - orfighting.rall.
fires So ff many - people - areargu - -ing orfighting, - argu - ing - orfighting. -
fires So ff many - people - areargu - -ing orfighting, - argu - ing - orfighting.It's mp like whirlpools whichare always - present - neara
It's mp like whirlpools whichare always - present - neara
getthatthereisawholeriver. - Thepicture - ismuchbigger, - muchbigger.rall.
getthatthereisawholeriver. - Thepicture - ismuchbigger, - muchbigger.getthatthereisawholeriver. - Thepicture - ismuchbigger, - muchbigger. -
shouldtaketimetolookatthebigpicture. - Weshouldtaketimeto
PERUSALSCORE
